


2:24 AM

by madelegg



Series: Babyleth [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Comfort, Comfort/Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Nightmares, dads
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-15 21:23:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21259871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madelegg/pseuds/madelegg
Summary: Dimitri's ghosts haunt him both waking and asleep, but Claude will always be awake to chase them away, even if just for a moment.





	2:24 AM

**Author's Note:**

> This piece is part of an episodic series of pieces in an alternate universe in which Byleth dies in the Five Years War and is reincarnated as a baby and adopted by Dimitri and, later, Claude. The pieces are in no particular order.

[Incredible art drawn by [@tradeofalljax!]](https://twitter.com/tradeofalljax)

Dimitri was moaning in his sleep again.

It was rare for the prince to get a good night’s sleep; between the war, young Byleth, and his constant nightmares, if Dimitri managed more than four hours, Claude considered that a success. Tonight, unfortunately, was not one of those nights.

Byleth was asleep; she’d been sleeping well through the night as long as she’d been tired out during the day and slept in the same room as her fathers, but she was a light sleeper, and Dimitri had cried out in his sleep before. He rolled over in bed, touching Dimitri’s shoulder.

“Dima? Hey, Dimitri, shhh,” he murmured.

His eyes adjusting to the darkness, he could see Dimitri’s face was twisted with agony. His breathing was quick and just a touch to his bare chest let Claude feel his heart slamming violently into his ribcage. A sheen of sweat coated his face. Claude sat up on his elbow, squeezing his broad bicep but not shaking him. Not yet.

“Shhh, Dima, shhh, it’s just a dream,” he said. “I’m right here. You’ll be okay. I’m here.”

Claude didn’t know if Dimitri could hear him when he spoke like this, but it had worked before, and if Claude could keep Dimitri asleep while soothing him from his nightmares, they would all be better off. But it wasn’t working this time.

Dimitri’s eye snapped open and he sucked in a sharp breath, chest suddenly heaving. His eye darted around and Claude waited for him to realize he was in their room, safe, far from whatever horrible things that he’d seen behind his eyelids, but his breathing did not settle.

“Dimitri?” he said, but Dimitri did not look at him. Claude touched his cheek and the prince flinched, jerking a hand up to cover his face.

“_ Please no _...” Dimitri’s voice was so soft that Claude could barely hear it between the man’s desperate breathing. His blue eye filled with tears.

“Dimitri, look at me,” Claude said, though he did not touch his face again. “Listen to my voice. You’re safe. Do you hear me? Say my name if you can hear me.”

“Glenn…” he choked out. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m-”

“Dimitri!” Claude raised his voice without meaning to and Byleth woke up, immediately starting to cry. Claude looked behind him at her crib in a panic and when he looked back, Dimitri’s eye met his.

“Dimitri,” he said softer. “Are you with us?”

Dimitri’s breathing slowly started to ease a bit. “...Claude?”

Claude let out a sigh of relief and squeezed his arm.

“Stay here,” he said and let go, rushing to swing his legs over the other side of the bed so he could get to Byleth, lifting her out of her crib and cradling her against his chest.

She squirmed in his arms, her shrieks echoing through the room. Claude placed his hand on the back of her head and rocked her gently with each swaying step as he came back to bed. Dimitri shifted a little, looking at them, face pale with distress. Claude stood at the edge of the bed, bouncing lightly, his lips pressed to her wispy blue hair.

“You’re okay, baby girl,” he murmured, eyes half closed as he gazed at her. “You’re okay. Don’t cry. Papa’s here.”

Dimitri reached a hand out toward the both of them. “Claude…”

Claude met his gaze and smiled weakly. “Don’t worry about it,” he said.

He rocked Byleth until her sobs had turned into mild whimpers and then he finally crawled onto the bed, sitting cross legged beside Dimitri, lowering her little body into his lap. She turned her head and reached for Dimitri, grabbing his long hair. Dimitri reached out to stroke her face.

“I am sorry, dear one,” he whispered to her, wiping the tears on her face with his thumb. Her wide eyes only stared, unblaming.

“Are you okay?” Claude asked him. Dimitri lowered his gaze.

“I apologize for waking you again.”

Claude’s eyes sharpened. “That’s not what I asked.”

Dimitri winced. “...I have been better.”

Claude reached down and gently stroked Dimitri’s hair from his face, his hand brushing against the old scar on his eye as he combed his fingers across the prince’s scalp, freeing him from Byleth’s grip. She wrapped her fist around Claude’s finger instead. “Do you want to tell me what you saw?”

“...Not tonight.”

Claude was silent for a moment, the two of them staring at their daughter.

“Would you like to hold her?” Claude asked.

“Yes.” Dimitri didn’t hesitate, leaning back so Claude could gently lower her onto his chest. 

She raised her head up to look at him, reaching for his scar curiously, where she so often saw the pitch black of his eyepatch. He reached up to take her little fist before she smacked his bad eye and waved her chubby little arm. She just stared at him, all her tears gone now. Claude reached down to touch his cheek.

“She really loves you,” he said softly, and Dimitri’s lips twitched, his smile more in his eye than his mouth.

“She is not old enough to know any better.”

“I love you too,” Claude said, his hand falling from Dimitri’s face to his warm chest. “And I know better.”

Dimitri let out a long breath and craned his neck to kiss Byleth’s head. “Can she sleep with us tonight?”

“Of course.”


End file.
